The Most Extreme Jobs in the US

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The United States is home to some of the most extreme jobs in the world. Whether you want to chase criminals, fly aircraft, or get up close and personal with the more dangerous parts of the animal world, these exciting career opportunities will give you plenty to talk about when someone asks you about your day at work.

Police Detective

If you like unraveling mysteries and you have a hankering to make the world a better place, a job with the police force might be for you. Police detectives spend their days tracking down some of America’s most wanted criminals from bank robbers to serial killers and no two days are the same.

Salary Range: $34,000 - $97,000

Private Military Contractors

Better known as mercenaries, private military contractors support the US military in war zones and other high-risk parts of the world, which can include protecting key personnel, guarding important locations, and piloting aircraft. They often command six figure salaries for working in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $270,000

Paramedic

Paramedics are some of America’s biggest unsung heroes, as anyone who has ever needed their help will tell you. They work long hours saving lives, patching people up, and even delivering the occasional baby. If you’re interested in medicine and like a workload with a lot of variety (and have a strong stomach), a paramedic might be the job for you!

Salary Range: $21,000 - $55,000

Executive Protection Specialists

Being a bodyguard means being aware of your surroundings all the time, and you’ll have to be prepared to take a bullet or two for the person you’re protecting. Executive protection specialists are hired to protect people who others might want to kidnap or assassinate. Applicants for this position will need to have extensive training and a keen eye for danger.

Average Salary: $41,000 - $120,000

Seabed Hunter

The seabed hunters of Hawaii have one of the world’s most extreme and dangerous jobs--striding across the bottom of the ocean with enormous harpoons to find unusual seafood for the island’s many restaurants. Successful applicants need to be able to hold their breath for up to five minutes and must be good under pressure. Actual pressure, that is!

Salary Range: $31,000 - $95,000

Astronaut

While we might be a few hundred years away from exploring distant galaxies in person, working on the International Space Station has to be one of the coolest things you can do with your life. If you’re looking for a job that lets you look down on the world from afar and brush your teeth in zero gravity, being an astronomer might be right for you. Potential astronauts will need extensive education and training as well as perfect physical health.

Salary: $64,000 - $140,000

Professional Cave Diver

Cave diving is scuba diving’s more dangerous cousin, and it’s certainly not one for the faint of heart. If the idea of traveling deep into underwater caves for a living strikes your fancy, the unusual flora and fauna and the sights you’ll discover are definitely worth the risk of horrible watery death!

Salary Range: $31,000 - $95,000

Stunt Actor

Stunt actors get to do some pretty cool things. Whether they’re jumping off buildings, driving sports cars down treacherous mountain roads or demonstrating their hand-to-hand combat skills, stunt actors know what a hard day at work really means. Suitable applicants need to have impeccable physical fitness and a nonchalant attitude to bruises.

Salary Range: $50,000 - $100,000

Wildlife Researcher

The excitement level of a wildlife researcher’s job depends on the wildlife they study. Those who get up close and personal with Alaskan polar bears, Rocky Mountain grey wolves, or Everglades crocodiles for sure have an interesting time.

Salary Range: $30,000 - $80,000

Professional Survival Instructor

If Bear Grylls is your personal hero, becoming a professional survivalist might be the career choice for you. Teaching people how to survive in the great outdoors means you’ll need to learn how to hunt, make basic tools from even more basic materials, and eat things you normally wouldn’t consider to be food. The views and scenery you get to enjoy make the hardships well worth the risks.

Salary Range: $34,000 - $78,000

Geologist

That’s right, being a geologist can be a lot more exciting than it sounds, especially if you work within the energy industry. Some lucky rock enthusiasts get to travel all over the United States to look for possible new oil or gas deposits, and few things beat the rush of striking oil!

Salary Range: $39,000 - $133,000

Extreme Sports Instructor

If jumping out of a plane or running across rooftops sounds like your idea of an exciting time, being a professional extreme sports instructor will give you the chance to take risks and experience adrenaline rushes every time you go to work. The number of possible sports to choose from seems to increase every year, so you won’t be short on options. If you’re really crazy, you could even invent your own!

Salary Range: $40,000 - $60,000

Astronomer

If the thought of finding new celestial bodies gets you all excited, working for a deep space research facility can be pretty amazing. For one thing, if aliens do show up, you’ll be one of the first to know. Other perks include the possibility of finding new planets capable of supporting life, and let’s face it, there aren’t many jobs where you get to do that!

Salary Range: $100,000 - $135,000

Professional Poker Player

If you’ve got nerves of steel and don’t baulk at the idea of losing thousands of dollars on a single hand of cards, the world of the professional poker might be the job for you. These pro card players do battle for high stakes in America’s casinos, and the lucky ones get to walk away with some serious money.

Salary Range: Varies depending on winnings

Spy

Protecting your country and foiling dangerous threats to national security would definitely make you win the “who has the most extreme career” argument once and for all, if you were allowed to tell anyone about it. Spies working for the CIA work undercover and mingle with the powerful and dangerous, and the travel opportunities are second to none!

Salary: $39,000 - $119,000+

These opportunities make up some of the most extreme jobs in America. If you’re looking for more adventure in your career, consider one of these options. To find more information about these and other exciting jobs that would be perfectly suited to your experience, visit SimplyJobs.com.